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Documents expose diplomatic deals between Cuba, Argentine junta

Buenos Aires, Nov 21 (EFE).- Documents recently declassified by the Argentine government reveal diplomatic cooperation between Communist Cuba and the right-wing military junta that ruled the South American country between 1976 and 1983.

The records, part of a batch of roughly 5,800 documents recently disclosed by Argentina’s Foreign Ministry, show exchanges of diplomatic favors between the government of President Fidel Castro, and the junta during the period 1976-1981.

In 1977, Cuba sought Argentina’s vote to get elected to the World Health Organization’s executive council.

The military regime acquiesced to the petition and, in turn, requested that Havana back Argentina’s bid for another term on the U.N. Economic and Social Council, known as ECOSOC.

In a message to its ambassador in Havana, the Argentine Foreign Ministry acknowledged Cuba’s request and authorized the diplomat to enter in “an exchange of votes in favor of our bid for the ECOSOC re-election.”

The cable, classified as secret and marked “very urgent,” was signed by Fernando Ricciardi from Argentina’s Department for International Organizations.

Five months later, the ambassador in Havana, Francisco Molina Salas, sent a secret cable to Buenos Aires stating that Cuba would support Argentina’s bid at ECOSOC.

“Cuba has confirmed its support for the ECOSOC re-election, making a total of 18 votes for the Argentine candidacy,” according to a cable sent from Buenos Aires to Argentina’s permanent mission to the United Nations